It’s been a slow start to the summer recruiting cycle for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but Kalen DeBoer and the program have been here before. DeBoer had a relatively small class early in 2025 before surging to sign 21 players for the No. 4-ranked class in the nation.
Moreover, Alabama has been gaining ground, climbing from outside the top 50 to No. 35 in the country by picking up two commitments: three-star defensive lineman JJ Finch, who joined the fray on Saturday, and four-star running back Javari Barnett, who flipped to the Tide from his Illinois commitment on Monday. And that was all before flipping three-star safety Rihyael Kelley on Monday afternoon, but those are not the only reasons for Alabama to take solace.
In the coming days, multiple players who spent time in Tuscaloosa during the official visit season are scheduled to make their commitment announcements, including a few blue-chip prospects who are predicted to land with the Tide: five-star safety Jireh Edwards, five-star wide receiver Cedarian Morgan, and the uncommitted player who has been expected to head to Alabama for the longest, four-star running back Ezavier Crowell.
The Jackson, Alabama, product is ranked 33rd overall in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite, nearly a consensus five-star recruit and easily one of the best players in the state. But the biggest question after Barnett grabbed a spot in the Alabama class is: Does this change things for Crowell?
The short answer: not at all.
Alabama still has plenty of room for 4-star Ezavier Crowell after Javari Barnett commitment
With multiple targets at the position, including KJ Edwards, who has since committed to Texas A&M, and Derrek Cooper, who is expected to land with Miami, along with Barnett and Crowell, Alabama was always positioning itself to add two running backs in the 2026 class. Though it’s not entirely depleted, the position could use an influx of talent, so Crowell is very much on the table for the Tide when he announces his commitment on June 26.
DeBoer added Akylin Dear in the 2025 high school class and brought in Dre’lyn Washington from Louisiana to offset the loss of Justice Haynes after last year’s 1B to Jam Miller transferred to Michigan. With Miller, Richard Young, Washington, and Dear in 2025, the Tide's run game should be strong, but maybe not strong enough considering the loss of Jalen Milroe’s legs in the ground game.
The dual-threat QB element could return if 2025 five-star Keelon Russell grabs the reins in 2026 when Barnett and Crowell would arrive, as the Tide learned last year when Miller and Haynes underwhelmed, you still need high-level running backs to take exploit the numbers advantage that players like Milroe and Russell can create.
Running back is a priority for DeBoer, and though Barnett committed to the class first, Crowell has always been viewed as the prize. Expect the in-state product to add to the growing list of Bama commits on Thursday.